PASCAL LE SEGRETAIN/GETTY IMAGESOksana Grigorieva and Mel Gibson in February at the premiere of his film, "Edge of Darkness."

In Mel Gibson’s first major interview since his nuclear rants to ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva went public last year, the actor says listeners just need to put his profane, violent, racist, misogynistic remarks in the proper context.

“It’s one terribly awful moment in time, said to one person, in the span of one day and doesn’t represent what I truly believe or how I’ve treated people my entire life,” he tells DeadlineHollywood.com. The rants were edited, he contends, and he made them “at the height of a breakdown, trying to get out of a really unhealthy relationship.

”He does regret the remarks and insists that actions speak louder than words: “I’ve never treated anyone badly or in a discriminatory way based on their gender, race, religion or sexuality — period.”

He also calls Grigorieva’s recording of his meltdown “a personal betrayal,” and says he appreciated that some friends like Whoopi Goldberg and Jodie Foster (with whom he made his latest film, “The Beaver”) spoke out in his defense. Other Hollywood friends have privately lent their support, he says, and he doesn’t blame them for not being more public. “Why would anyone want to speak publicly and drag themselves through this crap? It seems to add fuel to the fire,” he says. “Very many people are supportive, of course, but you find out who your friends are.”